Steering-gear for motor-vehicles.



G. 0. BARNES. smxsm GEAR FOB new: Vififiiffi.

APPLIBATION nun In. 11, 1008. 903,349 Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

' a sums-sun 1.

IN VENTOR C. 0. BARNES.

STEERING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. 11, 1908.

903,349. v Patented N0 v. 10. 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5* 2 IN! 'ENTOR g Alton G. O. BARNES. STEERING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES;

APPLICATION IILED JAN. 11 1908.

trate CHARLES O. BARNES, OF ()GWEGOJ NEW YER-K.

STEERING-GEAR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1908.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Serial No. 410,379.

1 '0 all whom Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, (humans 0. BAnNEs, of ()swego, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Gear for Motor-Vehicles; and I do hereby declnre the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it wp'pcrlnins to make and use the some.

My invei'ition relates to steering gear for inotor \"cl|icl s, -the object of the invention being to so construct steering mechanism of the character described, that the number of ports shall be reduced to a minimum; so that a costly amount of machining shall be avoided, and so that steering gear of a stanrL urd pattern can be applied to any lllitC-llllle, regardless of the particular style or configuration ol the frame-work of the latter.

\Vith this object in view the inventioi'i consists in certain combinations and arrangements of arts and details of construction as hereina ter set forth. and pointed. out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l i latter being shown in section, and Figs. 5 and a 6 are detai ed views of a bracket by means of which the mechanism is anchored to the frame of a vehicle.

1 represents a housing in which the meclr anism hereinafter described is inclosed, and this housing is provided with an enlargemen t 2 against the face of which a bracket 3 is removably secured by means of bolts 4. This bracket may be of any desired sha we to accommodate it to the framework oi the vehicle LO which the steering mechanism is to be up lied, but in the drawings I have illusrl a bracket having a general z sha'pe with strengthening webs 5,--the member 6 of the bracket being removably secured to the enlargement 2 of the housing as above stated, and the member 7 of said bracket being removabl secured to the framework 8 of the vehicle means of suitable bolts 9.

By the rovision of a removable bracket, I

general pattern and apply them to vehicles having nifl'erent constructions of framework.

A mast 10, provided at its u'pper end with a steering wheel 11, passes through the housing 1 and bearings are provided in proximity to both ends of said housing for saic m ast. catcd within the liousin 1 are two worms 12,

1.3, the lower worm l3 'eing rigidlysccurcd in. any suitable manner to the mast 10 and the upper worm 12 being connected with the most by means of'a suitable key 14 so asto permit the worms lib-13 to be adjusted for wear between the threads of said worms and the threads of an internally threaded sleeve 15 incloscd within the housing 1.. The worms l2 and 13 arespaced apart and there is also a blank space 1.6 between. the upper and lower internal threads of the sleeve 15. The sleeve 15 is ca )able of longitudinal movement within. the housing and it is of an appreciable less diameter than the internal diameter of the housing, so that machining of the interior face of t e latter and the exterior face of the sleeve 15 can be avoided as these faces do not make contact with each other. i i

The lower end of the housing is provided with a shoulder 17 and between this shoulder and the lower end of the worm l3, ball-bearings 18 are located. An externally threaded sleeve 19 embraces the mast 10 and is screwed into the upper end of the housing 1, where his retained at any desired adj ustment by means of one or more screws 20 passed through the wall of the housing. Between the lower end of the threaded sleeve 19 and the upper worm 12 ball-bearings 21 are located.

The sleeve 15 is provided exteriorly with an integral rack 22 which projects into an enlargml portion 2.3 of thc housing and is guided by the latter in a i'nanner to permit the free longitudinal movements of the sleeve .15 but prevent rotation of the letter. In order to f :iilitatr-i the insertion of the sleeve .15 with its rack into the housing, the latter provided with an o ienii'ig 25 which is normally covered by a lip or ilangc 26 projecting from the upper ca 'i-portion of the housing.

A shaft :37 is mounted in suitable hearings in the ei'ilarged portion of the housing arid to this shaft a toothedsegment is suitztbl secured and receives motion from the rec: 22. At a point beyond the bearin s of the shaft 2?, an arm 29 is secured to t. is latter and to the free end of this arm arod 30 is pivotally connected,-the other end of this rod being attached in any suitable manner .to the journals of the steering wheels of the Vehicle.

From the construction and arrangement of parts above described, it willbe seen that when the mast '10 is turned motion will be transmitted throu h the worms 12-l3to the sleeve 15 an; the longitudinal movement of the latter thus caused, will be transmitted through the rack 22 and segment 28 to the shaft 27, and from the latter, throu h the arm 29 and rod 30 to the steering whee s.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let? ters-Patent, is,

.1. In a steerin gear for vehicles, the combination witha ousing and a mast having bearin s therein, of two worms spaced apart on sai justable, a single sleeve having internally threaded ortions spaced apart and meshim res ective ly with the worms, a shaftada ted to e connected with the steering whee s of av'ehicle, and means for transmittingmoti'on from said sleeve to said shaf 2. In a steerin gear for vehicles, the combination with a ousing and a mast having bearin s therein, of two worms, one of which is rigi y secured and the-other adjustably secured to the mast within the housing, a sleeve having internally threaded portions s aced apart and meshing res ectively with the worms, said sleeve mova le longitudinall within the housing, a shaft mounted in t e housing and ada ted to be connected with the steering Whee's of a vehicle, and

means for connectin the longitudinally movd shaft for operating the latter.

' 3. In a steerin gear for vehicles, the combination with a ousing and a mast having bearings in proximity to the ends of sai mast one of said worms being ad-.

and adapted to be connected with the steering wheels of a vehicle, a toothed segment secured to said shaft, 'and a rack on the longitudinally movable 'sleeve meshing with said toothed segment.

. 4. In a steering gear for'vehicles, the combination with a mast, of two worms thereon,

one-of said worms being fixed to the maste thereon, a sing e and the other adjustab sleeve having internal threaded portions meshing with there spective Worms and means for transmitting motion of said sleeve to the steering wheels of the vehicle.

5. In a steerin gear for vehicles, the combination with a iiousing and a mast having bearings therein, of two worms spaced apart on said mast one of" said worms being ad justable, a single sleeve having internally threaded portions spaced apart and meshing respectively with the Worms, means for reventing rotation of said sleeve, a s aft adapted to bO'COZ'IHGCtGd with the steering wheels of a vehicle, and means for transmitting motion from said sleeve to said shaft.

' In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in, the presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

CHARLES O. BARN ES.

Witnesses:

L. F. FULLER, H. I. THRALL. 

